“This is not a typical situation. It is an embarrassing one, but what’s new. What we have to say is the same: get rid of the government that handed over our land as soon as possible, the government that was defeated, the one that signed a disgraceful capitulation act, and the leader who deceives the people every day, every hour. Remember the statements they made at the time,” Hovhannes Sahakyan, a member of the RPA Council and former chair of the National Assembly Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs, said at the Henaran press club, answering the question of what the opposition will have to say during the protest on February 20th.
Hovhannes Sahakyan watched the military parade in Baku after the war. “The majority of our military equipment that was displayed was not damaged. Do you understand? This was the equipment that was the backbone of our army. In other words, that equipment was not damaged during the war. It remained in Fizuli; they came and took our equipment. In other words, maybe Armenians left the equipment in the barracks so that the Turks could come and take everything,” Hovhannes Sahakyan said, adding that the authorities were hiding in the bunkers, and they did not do anything to remove our soldiers from their hiding places in the forests, even when they knew where the soldiers were.
Hovhannes Sahakyan said that the authority belongs to the people, and just as the people took to the streets in 2018 to demand that power be given to the person of their choosing without bloodshed, they must do it again now. “I assure you that this is what will happen,” he said, adding that people in Yerevan frequently ask him why the opposition is not taking drastic steps. He often responds that they are now trying to use the constitutional method, and if the government does not understand that, “They will not be able to go against the people.”
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“Our team wants to ensure that all problems are solved constitutionally. We have also proven that. The leader who signed the capitulation document must resign. During the trilateral meeting in Moscow, the issues that matter to us were not resolved. They do not take Pashinyan seriously,” Sahakyan said.
According to him, the Armenian people were shown several times during the war, danger, and martial law that these people are not able to take responsibility and lead the country. They often blame others for their failures and hide in bunkers. Until all of this is over and they resign, they will find excuses to blame everyone else but themselves. “They also need to have the ability to understand that our country grows weaker every day they remain in power. We have already crossed all the negative stats in terms of democracy. Look at the parliament agenda and government decisions made over the past several months. Besides taking loans and European bonds, as well as limiting reporters’ activities, they are not doing anything else,” Hovhannes Sahakyan said.
Hovhannes Sahakyan said that there will be a gathering tomorrow on Freedom Square with thousands of people, although he believes it is not accurate to give specific numbers. “Our country’s fate will be determined based on quality.”
Nelly Grigoryan
